Animals and Vermin
Detailing the unusual animals and vermin of Oron categorically in relation to clades, or shared ancestor. Animals Toro: The Behemoths The creatures descended from Toro are large and powerful, such as Aurochs and Boar. Lobo: The Beasts The creatures descended from Lobo are wild and savage hunters, such as Canids and Bears. Cuervo: The Watchers The creatures descended from Cuervo are the keen-eyed birds, such as Striders and Crows. Pantera: The Stalkers The creatures descended from Pantera are solitary hunters and night dwellers, such as Big Cats and Ferrets. 'Jarvey (Dire weasel)' The jarvey, also known as the dire weasel, is a ferret of unusually large proportions, measuring just shy of 10ft in length on average and standing taller than a man when upright. Jarveys are both physically strong and nimble, capable of feats of acrobatics belied by their size. Jarveys are excellent hunters and burrowers and usually prey on burrowing animals or birds. Perhaps the most famous of a Jarvey's attributes is its ability to mimic sounds and short phrases much like a parrot, making them a popular novelty amongst nobles and travelling performers. Despite rumours of the contrary, Jarveys have no real understanding of the words they mimic, but can be trained to respond to specific questions or stimuli. Jarveys despise cats and will always try to chase and kill them. Jarveys and other races: Jarveys are very selfish and vain when domesticated, requiring almost constant attention. Because of this, they are very willing to learn and perform tricks or phrases so long as they are rewarded properly. They are mischievous creatures who are known to pester their owners by hiding valuable objects or eating other pets if they don't get their way. Because of their size and the danger they pose should they turn vicious, they are rarely kept by anyone other than expert trainers in the employ of nobles or travelling circuses. Jarveys can often be found in the company of bandits, who find no end to the amusement that can be produced by teaching the jarvey all manner of vulgarities and insults. Reptiles and Amphibians These cold-blooded creatures originate from a time long before mammals and birds. They include Dinosaurs and Salamanders. Walkers These creatures are larger hooved herbivores such as horses and deer. Fodder These creatures are smaller herbivores and other creatures, such as sheep and goats. Sea Creatures Creatures of the sea, including fish, octopi, crustaceans and other life-forms. Vermin Worms Wiggly things. Arachnids Spiders, Scorpions and other nasty things. Beetles Beetles, Roaches and other similar bugs. Hexapods Six-legged insects including ants, mantis and moths. Myriapods Millipedes, centipedes and gigapedes. 'Centipede, Sinite (Gigapede)' Vicious, powerful and relentlessly aggressive, gigapedes are voracious omnivores that can range anywhere between 3 and 60 feet in length. They possess thick, armored carapices and sport vicious mandibles that ooze paralytic toxins. They are usually black or brown, but red and yellow ones are not unheard of. Striped or mottled patterns can also be observed on some specimens. Larger gigapedes also possess pointed limbs that pose a serious danger to any creature unfortunate to get caught beneath them. Gigapedes eat almost anything they come across, from piles of refuse to other centipedes. As they grow in size, they become more and more territorial - smaller centipedes can be found swarming in groups of dozens, whilst the largest centipedes kill any others that might rival it in size. The gigapede's only natural predator is the Malicite Hellbender, one of the few creatures that can eat the gigapede's toxic flesh. Despite their name, Sinite centipedes can be found worldwid but are most prolific in southern Clador - particularly the swampy areas around the Sin-Malus border. Gigapedes and other races: Gigapedes are considered a dangerous plague by most civilised races due to their aggressive natures and huge appetites. They provide no usable resources and their flesh is toxic to most creatures, making them unsuitable for farming. Any attempts at domestication fail, overpowered by the creature's base instinct to feed and fight, making it a poor choice for a beast of burden. However, due to their affinity for vermin, the Sanhedrin have found a small use for the creatures as guards, being able to compel the creatures to stay in a specific area or follow the sound of a special whistle. But even for Sanhedrin this is not optimal as the creatures usually have a high upkeep due to their big stomachs. Though they theoretically can be used as mounts, this option is seldom utilized because of the undulating movement of the creatures and the numerous special provisions required to simply stay in the saddle. Gigapedes have no sense of affection and do not bond with those they live with, and if not kept fed may attack their owners.